The invention relates to a system and equipment for handling scrap metal resulting from machining operations. This scrap metal, consisting of a variety of shapes and sizes, is discharged from the machining operation in an oily condition having become coated with the cutting oils used to lubricate and cool the tools. Substantial quantities of the oil remain on the scrap.
The scrap is received in many forms including chips, turnings and chunks. The turnings are often long ribbons or wire-like strips which are coiled upon themselves and, in the process of being handled, become snarled and interlocked with each other to form balls and large masses from which the cutting oils cannot be effectively removed. The removal of the oil is essential because it is a costly material and the scrap is considered undesirable until the oils have been stripped from it. Heretofore, it has been known to have processing systems which utilize a conveyor for feeding the scrap to a crusher and including means for separating the bigger chunks of metal from the mass before the mass enters the crusher. It has also been a known practice to recombine the metal discharged by the crusher with the larger chunks which were separated prior to entry of the material into the crusher and then to transport the combined material by suitable means such as a flight conveyor, screw conveyor or a reciprocating conveyor to a feed conduit which discharges into an oil separating centrifuge. The conduit is equipped with means for separating the large chunks from the rest of the material so that only the chips and crushed turnings and material of a similar size enters the centrifuge.